Ricky Ponting picks MS Dhoni as captain of his all-time IPL XI

“AB de Villiers is another one who would walk into most IPL teams through the history of the game. But with the record that my openers, (Chris) Gayle and (David) Warner, have it was a bit hard to fit AB de Villiers in the middle order,” Ponting told Cricket Australia website.

"But he is an out-and-out match-winner; he can bat at No 3 to No. 6, he wins games by himself and he scores 360 degrees around the ground. He is pretty much the blueprint of the modern T20 player. He is exceptional and he is unlucky to miss out."

Ponting’s decision to include Mishra in his team has also raised a few eyebrows. "I have gone for a bit of a shock here and have put Amit Mishra in the side," Ponting said. "He has got an outstanding IPL record, he has got great variations and he is a wicket-taker because he is not scared to throw the ball up. He turns the ball enough both ways and he has been a great performer for a long, long time."

Ponting said Dhoni would bat at No 6. "MS Dhoni is at No 6 and he will also be the captain of my side. He brings huge experience and whenever he is at the crease ... you always have a chance of winning the game. I have seen him do it off his own bat on several occasions so I'll go with him as skipper, with the gloves and batting at No 6.”

Ponting’s all-time IPL XI:

1. Chris Gayle

2. David Warner

3. Rohit Sharma

4. Virat Kohli

5. Suresh Raina

6. MS Dhoni (c)

7. Dwayne Bravo

8. Harbhajan Singh

9. Amit Mishra

10. Ashish Nehra

11. Lasith Malinga